The New Hampshire Senate killed a bill that would have restricted warrantless and weaponized use of drones by law enforcement. The legislation would not only have establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would have also help thwart the federal surveillance state.

Rep. Neil Kurk, Rep. Robert Cushing and Rep. Paul Berch sponsored House Bill 97 (HB97). Under the proposed law, New Hampshire government agencies could not “use drones, or obtain, receive, use, or retain information acquired by or through a drone, for law enforcement purposes,” without a warrant, with a few specific exceptions. HB97 also included a blanket ban on the use of drones equipped with lethal or non-lethal weapons.